8.28.2014

Labor Day weekend is upon us. For many that means the last chance to get a long weekend in the great outdoors before the weather turns and the children turn back into students. We're joining the ranks of all who like to adventure outdoors but not without a touch of comfort. This weekend we're headed up to our hippie timeshare in the enchanted woods of Devil's Creek and Breitenbush River. Last year at this same time Mr. Monkey pulled a fast one on the existing dinky and rotting deck and made a new and improved deck that has (arguably) more structural integrity than the cabin itself. The new deck is large enough for a tent or a wine tasting with stadium seating. It's also complete with two large (several hundred pounds each) flagstone pieces. Now the deck is ready for a charcuterie plate and excellent bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. Here are Mr. Monkey's steps for building a kick-ass deck (which is not connected to the cabin itself for ease of moving later if cabins changes occur).

Warning: Do NOT move heavy rocks on your own! Mr. Monkey is crazy strong and stubborn.

Tip: If you scroll to the end of the pictures there is some cuteness that awaits you.

8.08.2014

It's been awhile since I've been on the blog so first I'll share some old news. This past spring Mr. Monkey and I were in Portland and were able to pass some time on N. Williams St. Loads of cute stories and eateries are there to be explored. My favorite was Lark Press (pics below). I picked up some cute coasters for the kitchen and a special book of birds. You can also check out Lark Press's Etsy page if you can't make it there in person. Others have written about eating on N. Williams so I'll skip that but I will say we had lunch and liquid lunch at Hopworks Bike Bar and we were quite happy that it wasn't completely slammed on a Saturday and the burgers were d-lish. If you want you can also pedal a stationary bike and get a discount on your beer for contributing to power the establishment. Cheers to exploring in your own state!